Nothing teaches you more about what is really needed than actual hands-on experience in the field on a day by day basis. :) Fantastic video and great information. Thanks for sharing!
Jared, we are not full timers but are enjoying our rig so much more thanks to you. Your videos have helped us immensely. Thanks for the great job you do.
Just stumbled upon your channel. Good stuff. Very informative. Regarding RV toilet paper.....I spent much of my career in the paper industry. I once asked a Production Manager at a tissue paper mill what was the difference between "RV" toilet paper and regular toilet paper. The answer was "the packaging and the price". We are not full time, but we have averaged more than 75 nights a year in our trailer since 2016 and always use whatever toilet paper we happen to have on hand, and have never had any sort of issue. The big key to me is simply keeping your valves closed until your tank is getting fairly full. Then go ahead and dump and close the valve again. I see a lot of folks arrive at a campsite, hook up their sewer hose and then pull the valves open. This is asking for trouble as the liquid simply runs off and the solids stay put in the tank....not that difficult to see where that leads...safe travels and keep up the great work. thank you.
We have the same things lying around. We (I, since I am the packrat) try to look at things every six months or so and if we haven't used it, make a conscious decision on keeping. Every once in a while I have to do a "deep clean" or I get buried in useless "stuff". Keep the videos coming, please!
Another great video Jared! Here in Ontario, Canadian Tire has 5lb or 10lb propane tanks that you can buy that will work with your propane grill or whatever. They are refillable at any propane supplier and totally eliminate the use of those wasteful propane canisters.
So refreshing to see an RV'er advocating LESS instead of MORE. So tired of RUclipsrs who are constantly hawking products (with accompanying kickbacks for themselves) that you simply MUST HAVE. We certainly appreciate all tips and ideas but honestly, some "creators" are so obviously doing this just for the monetary benefits. Thanks for the tips!
I bought a little 5 pound tank for propane. $5.00 to fill and lasts a lot longer than the disposables. You can also buy 10 pound tanks. Easy to take with us if we want to go to the beach or have a picnic away from the RV.
You can take off the regulators on your BBQ and firepit and use a quick connect to the trailer. The trailer's regulator already reduces the pressure which is why you need to remove the individual ones. Much easier than removing one propane tank each time for the fitting you shown on the video. (Where we camp, LTE is pretty weak but the campground apparently does have decent wifi. I am probably going to your old tech;)
I purchased an inexpensive adapter so I can refill my 1lb cylinders from my 20 lb propane tanks. Like you suggest, I had purchased an adapter hose but found it was not always convenient. At times, I wanted to be able to use a 1lb tank for convenience and portability. My adapter works like a charm. I stick an empty 1lb tank (weigh it first so you'll know when you've added 1lb of propane) in the freezer for 30 minutes. I put my 20lb cylinder is in the sun for about the same amount of time to get it warm. Once the temperature difference is evident, I screw the cold one pound tank to the adapter on the warmer 20lb cylinder, turn the 20lb tank upside down on a picnic table, open the valve so the LPG flows into the 1lb cylinder and wait about 60 seconds. Close the valve and remove the 1lb tank. The tank should weigh 1 lb more than when it was empty. (About 2lbs total). It costs me less than $1 to fill, compared to purchasing a 1lb cylinder for $7.99 or more sometimes. I don't bother buying new tanks... there are plenty of empty ones sitting near the recycle bins at the campgrounds.(BONUS: I've actually discovered that many of those discarded tanks still have lots of propane in them.)
Regarding the small propane tanks... You can buy an accessory that plugs into the external gas stove orifice. This works fine if you have the gas stove meant for the camper, if you use the adapter to go from the orifice to a propane grill meant for the small cylinders, you do not get enough pressure to even light the grill. The reason being, the orifice has already been regulated by the camper regulator, when you put the adapter onto the grill, it is regulated again.... It will not let enough gas through to even light. The hose connection shown in the video is the way to go. It comes directly off an LP tank unregulated and then on to the grill regulator.
Toilet Paper Tip. A visit to a road-side cafe' in Mexico educated me on this. Buy a trash can with a lid (I like the no-touch kind with a foot peddle) - insert one of those plastic bags you get at the checkout stand in the grocery store and flare it out as a liner. Place the can next to the commode. Discard TP in trash instead of flush. (If you're finiky, put it in muck side down). End problems with sensors in the tank. Allow use of ANY T.P., even the very inexpensive kind. Only negative - emptying the trans can - so, when full, tie the handles of the plastic bag together (double knot) and put it out with the rest of the garbage. Saves room in the black-water tank, too.
There is a video with a guy testing different TP's and the best one for value was the great value brand from walmart. Reasonably comfortable, inexpensive and broke down as good as most "RV" toilet papers!
Keep in mind the propane lines you would run from your RV are already pressure regulated. When using the 1 lb tanks on your grill or lantern to regulate your flow. If you have a regulator on your grill, the combined lower flow from the RV will not give you enough BTUs. We use a bumper mount and the quick connect. Just had to remove the grill regulator using an adapter kit.
I have a brass take-off that goes between my DOT bottle and the RV hose and tees off for a high pressure hose that can go directly to the standard regulator on a bbq or stove. Going this way allows to run off the RV tanks or use bottles if I want. PS don't use gas lanterns anymore LEDs cost lots less to operate.
I got one of those 2 1/2 gallon refillable propane tanks to connect up to my Colman grill. Works great because I’m not limited on here to put the tank and grill. I can refill it when I’m refilling my RV tanks.
Thanks. As this is my first rv found myself loading up on accessories as well. As I go along find myself weeding out same kind of items while hanging onto a few what if items. My accessory box has gone down 70% in just one year. I love the dump hose you pointed out for the same reasons. Never used the WiFi stuff but have reduced several items I actually spent some $$ on. Thanks for the video, enjoy them very much.
For the propane you can buy a simple adapter which will allow you to refill the small tanks and that works great. Amazon has the adapters for under twenty bucks
FYI . If you are tired of buying the small propane bottles. You can actually them. Walmart sells an adapter for that for less than $20. Its easy to use and saves a lot of money.
A couple of propane things: for those who use 20lb tanks, Costco sells tanks every summer with a built-in gauge; also, you can generally pick up a gauge that goes between the tank and the connector. To eliminate buying 1 lb cylinders, you can buy an adapter that allows you to refill the cylinders (there are RUclips videos that explan how to do it); instead of that, we use a tank and a distribution tree; you can use a 5 lb tank, no need for a 20 lb tank with the distribution tree.
Thanks for the great video. We just got our first travel trailer... finally growing up from tent camping. It's good to find someone doing honest videos about what you don't always need. Just subbed.
My two cents. Grab one of the Truma or Dometic pen type propane tank testers. I have the Dometic knock off and it has been very accurate. Running 3 (4?) years now on the original batteries. I have T's on both of my 20# tanks - one for the BBQ and one for the Coleman camp stove. Each has a 25' hose which makes it flexible enough locate in different spots. The only negative is that they T off before the changeover regulator, so I am using both tanks at the same time; but has never been a problem as the main tank drains down quicker with the fridge, stove, water heater and furnace all running from that tank from time to time. My trailer does have a QC as well for propane, but I don't use it because it's not well located and the high pressure LP from the tanks means I don't have to modify my BBQ and camp stove.
This was a lot of good info. As someone about to go full time on her own it's very helpful to hear what *doesn't* work for those who've already been there.
I haven't bought an rv yet but we are moving towards this it is our goal So I am watching all these videos to learn some ins and outside Thank you for the great info
If you go to Wish.com they sell a cheap version for under five bucks. That one basically attaches the little bottle to big bottle, when you open valve it then equalizes pressure. May not fill completely up but if you have the tank upside down you will get quite a bit more liquid transferred.
Plus one on the Scott, just make sure whatever you purchase, it is 2 ply! We also use the Rhino sewer hose and carry our Sewer Solution as a backup when we encounter a sewer hook up that is not flush with the ground or at least close to the ground.
There is also an adapter to refill the little 1lb propane tanks from a larger 20-30+ tank. Great if you hike and backpack. Buy a 4 pack of 1lb tanks and a refill adapter and you will be good to go for a couple years before the tanks start to leak. Way better than sending them to a landfill.
, Mopeka had some bad sensors that were bleeding batteries very quickly. I reached out and they replaced mine. I am usually able to get over a year on one battery. The cold weather does impact the reading showing a lower than actual amount. I wait until the tank actually auto switches then just refill the empty. My configuration has my tanks sitting on two horizontal bars with a gap so I oriented the reader on the bottom to sit between the bars in the gap. They work great in the cooler season so I don’t run both tanks to empty unexpectedly.
I don't doubt your account. However, the RV forums I frequent will often cite battery life as the Mopeka's fatal flaw. I have no personal experience, but the persistent battery discussion keeps me on the other side of the fence.
Granted, I have only been RVing for a couple months... and NOT full-time, but I find the Mopeka sensor helpful. I do not have any extremely high-usage devices for the propane, so they ought to last MANY weeks... but I do like to know the general status of my propane levels every few days. I have found that I need to take a measurement when it is neither too cold nor too hot out. My camping has been during the summer months so far, so I check in the morning. As to the spacers for the sensors, I got the rubber ring spacers and my tanks are on the front of my conventional trailer; it is not too difficult to remove the tanks. I take the tanks off to have them filled and take the sensor off when doing so. The app for my phone gives me an indication for the battery life remaining, so one of these days, I'm sure it will be low and I'll have to change the batteries. I have many devices in and around the house that use the same battery, so I buy the batteries about 20 at a time... I through several in my toolbox in the trailer. In other words, I like mine so far and find the criticism of a minor issue.
Jared, I got the Stanbroil Propane Brass Tee Adapter Kit with 4-Port you put in your tanks and you can do lots of different connections. Hope it helps! I got it on Amazon
Agreed. Especially the Wi-Fi booster. Campground Internet does not have the bandwidth to support a second camper using Netflix. Their Wi-Fi doesn't work even if you have a strong signal.
Good stuff. I too tried those propane sensors, could never get them to work. Solution, we use a tank till it runs out, switch to the other one, keep a back up 5 gallon around, use it for BBQ. Good advice on the sewer hoses.
I'll ad another one: Gas mantle lanterns. The new LED lanterns will last a long time on 4 D cells, like weeks, whereas a gas mantle lantern uses up a 1 lb bottle in a night or 2. Also incandescent light bulbs in the RV and in flashlights. LED's last much longer.
+1000 on the (non-)quality of RV park internet. We just got into RV'ing and have done so once for a long weekend, and OMG it was so bad that it made the act of not even bothering to try more preferable to the random spats of 30-second 100k/sec speeds I did get amongst the infinitely spinning load icons.
I got a 10 ft propane hose in my first season RVing, and this year got a second hose and a T-connection so I can run the BBQ and the camp stove at the same time. The risk, though, is that I’m draining propane from the backup tank, and it’s caused us to run out of propane a couple of times.
I do have a "quick connect" below the bumper of my RV but find it a lot more convenient to use a 1 gal propane can i bought several years back. Tables tend to be too far away from my back bumper & the little green cans can be expensive after a bit. I broke even after the 2nd time I filled the 1 gal can vs using the little green ones. One gal lasts a long time and is a good back up for the trailer if I run out. Yes; you can refill the little green cans but not real safe & not real convenient to tip the larger RV bottle over.
The generic toilet paper at Walmart is great! It seems to break down well and is 60 cents per four roll pack. It’s just a black and white generic pack.
IF blessed, you live and you learn. New products on the market give more options, plus, your lifestyle choices change. Change is good ! Thank you for sharing.
My apologies for going a bit off topic for things not used anymore, but since you discussed cheap vs better sewer hoses, and the T/P that passes thru that hose, I’m claiming creative question liberty here. My question is about that thing we use everyday, what the hose connects to, the black and grey tanks. What do you use in your tanks for conditioner/digester? I’ve seen all sort of comments about the expensive rv brands and other septic system brands such as Rid-X. Again, apologies for somewhat off topic, but this is what the cheap-expensive sewer hoses are used for.
We will occasionally use a chemical that we pick up from Walmart to help with the smells during the summer months when everything is warmer. We haven’t used rid-x at all. We make sure to use a lot of water when flushing and then when dumping the tank, we fill it with water and flush it out again. Hope this helps!
The first thing most RVer's do when setting up at a camp site is attaching the dump hose. I personally only hook up when necessary. Why expose the hose to suns rays and weather?
Yes. Good info here! Just one tiny thing,..... please hold the item(s) without shaking it all about while talking with your hands. I wanted to get a better look at that propane tank meter and see the back of that wifi thing.
Great videos and info. I've learned a lot. Something I would like to comment on and remind everybody about is the milk crate that appears a few times in this and other folks videos. Those crates are illegal to possess outside the company that owns them. I work for a Dairy and we spend in excess of $2,000,000.00 (2 MILLION dollars) each year replacing milk crates due primarily to theft. It seems like every plumber, electrician and RV owner has at least one and usually more. If I took a bag of tools out of the electricians or plumbers truck they would report me to the authorities. If I walked into your RV and took your TV/Satellite, power cord, water hose etc. you would report me. Please don't complain about the cost of dairy products if you have a stolen milk crate in your possession or know where one is and haven't reported it. If you need that type of crate that badly please do a google search. There are numerous companies that sell them legitimately.
I've always used regular Scott (not yet living in an RV). After reading your comment I tried the test and have to agree, it seems to break down very well in just water. I'm sure in a tank with a bit of Pure Power or what have you it'll work even better. Glad I can stickwith what I'm already happy with.
For the propane level detector batteries: Amazon does sell 120v ac to AA, AAA, C or D cell battery adapters, so as long as you have shore/inverter/generator power, it would work without any replacement
We bought a small 11lb tank for our bbq, big buddy heater and propane fire pit. Waaaaaaaaay better then using the green 1lb Colman’s tanks. Easy to pick up and take with you around camp or down to the beach ect ect
I did your toilet paper test 2 years ago and some of the Septic safe actually broke down better than the Rv Tp. Usually use Scott's or what's on sale and Septic safe. The propane is pretty simple. I keep one tank closed and when one runs out turn the lever and go fill the empty. Ran out this Spring. Got to 60* inside til I decided to go open the full tank. Lol
Great video. Agree with you on the Mopeka LP tank sensors batteries. About ready to ditch them, too. I stopped using the x-chocks. They are heavy and take time to install. Left them home in the shop, along with the kingpin tripod! Less weight to haul around. Am curious about the hotspot for wi-fi. Our 2 iPhones have ATT data service. Last year we purchased Verizon and then Sprint hotspots/jet packs. Burned through the GB data so fast for Verizon (very expensive) and Sprint (less expensive) when we were RV’ng in Shenandoah Nat Park. Stopped Ver and Sprint data plans shortly (after about 4 mos) after buying the hotspots and our RV season was over. Still open to suggestions for 2019 season already underway. Missed having WiFi in NH Franconia Notch KOA for 4 nights . -Jersey Mike
Check out NetBuddy. They offer an unlimited ATT data plan for around $65 per month. It has received some good reviews. Will Prowse put out some informative RUclips videos last year. Verizon did have an unlimited network managed plan for the Jetpack that many RVer use but they recently closed it to new subscribers. Also check with Mopeka, I recall reading they made some changes to increase battery life.
Thanks for that John we have a sunset cross road camper and we really love it and thank you for saying that by the way I also love your channel even though this is the first video I watched him have fun in your camper wish me luck in my camper and yeah bye
My mind just exploded. I literally had no idea toilet paper broke down that well. Bought RV specific toilet paper when apparently our Angel Soft is just fine! Lol
You can get a little mini 5lb DOT propane tank that's very easy to carry around and just keep that on hand for further away grilling. Totally eliminate the colman 1lb that way
With the grill tank, you can get a line to hook into a 20lb or even an 11 or 4.5lb tank. I still use the small bottles because I bought a bunch of them in 2003 and they're still good.
@@richnoggin7524 nobody died from cutting the mattress tag. People have died from disposable propane tanks after they were refilled. There is a safer option from flame king, it's a really sturdy product.
@AllAboutRV's, How about also updating your description with the things you didn't like! A couple of them I would like and need, especially the WiFi booster - the speeds around me are great but I do have a signal problem and have tried many boosters that don't work well. It would just be nice to carry the booster as an option.
Another note about the disposable propane cylinders.. Often the devices you use them with have a pressure regulator. Your main tanks on the RV also have a pressure regulator. Sometimes if you tap off the main tanks to your BBQ or other device normally fed by disposable cylinder, the combination of the two regulators can drop the gas flow down to such a low level that the device won't work correctly. It doesn't happen with all devices, it depends on the regulators.
I've found that WIFI in cheap hotels also have very very slow wifi. More expensive hotels with well knows names have excellent WIFI. Many folks these days use a smart phone as their computer, so it makes sense to make the move to a hot spot of your own to connect to the internet. Very good video and information.
I like the little propane tanks but if I used propane tanks all the time, I would use the dot tank as well. I switched to electric when I traveled and charcoal for grilling outdoors. A electric stovetop, and a microwave and a toaster or toaster oven is the way I went with. You can still grill at a campfire or charcoal grill and have the convenience of electrical cooking inside when it's raining or something. I think it's safer as well cause I had a propane grill catch fire when I was younger and luckily I turned off the tank and disconnected it without panicking. I know electric can be just as dangerous and newer propane grills have safety valves now but I would rather use charcoal or electric as my cooking. I have natural gas in my home but that's not disconnected and moved all the time and can be prone to damages in transit cause my oven stays in one place. Now I would use a stationary propane oven in a RV but not a travel propane cooktop. Had one and scared the daylights out of me and I would rather not, if I have another choice.
The 1st one for measuring propane level are junk out of the box! I tried two different sets of them and couldn't get either set to work with the monitor that came with it or on WiFi. The small propane tanks can be refilled from an adapter for the large tank. But still a waste of time and money as far as I'm concerned. I've been using regular toilet paper for 20+ years in my motorhome without a problem. Close the T handle gate valve tank closed. Wait until the tank is full before you dump the tank. Leaving the gate valve open allows the water to drain and the solids to build up. You want to flush the tank each time with the water to flush out the solids each time you open the gate valve. Just my personal experience.
We had problems with Scott's gumming up our black tank valve, which as you know is NOT good bc then it doesn't shut all the way after you dump (unless weran our saniflush but we could only do that at dump stains with water... don't want to hook up saniflush at full hookups campsite). So gross. So now we use Walmart's Great Value Everyday Soft TP.
Well, this video is helpful and resourceful, to keep you organized during your RV trips. Since RV is not just a vehicle but a home as well, do you agree? :)
@@AllAboutRVs I tried the SAMS TP using the water breakdown test and it didn't break down very well. I left a sheet in water for a couple minutes but maybe I didn't give it enough time? Tested the Scott 1ply and it started disintegrating almost immediately.
I actually found the Scott’s brand RV toilet paper in large packs and its actually good stuff works just like the big name brand house hold paper. Just Incase someone was looking for some. It’s sold at Walmart.
Nancy Sala The RV safe? Hmm I use clear connections on my sewer hose and I’ve never had a problem. I also use Blue Power to break down solids so maybe the Blue Power is doing it’s job.
Guess I am old school. The only accessory that you are doing away with that I have, is the sewer hose. Am I the only one who cooks on a grill over a campfire? (As long as there aren’t any fire restrictions) No computer, generator, air conditioner, TV, camping stove or lanterns. I have a stove, hot water heater and heater in the camper, which we use sparingly.
I wonder if AP Products has improved the propane sending units. Mine have been in service for almost 20 months (June 28, 2018 through today, Feb 14, 2020) and are still on the original batteries. One battery is about 60%, the other is about 80%.
Key thing to note, fill them with the big tank upside down... and use a hemostat to release air between filling... and use a scale to weigh so you don't overfill... search for a video on it... takes a few minutes, but it nice to just reuse a couple bottles for this without having to be tethered.
Jared, how long have you had your Verizon jetpack? Is it the 65.00 prepaid unlimited? I tried for hours yesterday on the phone and in person in a Verizon company store and was told that special is over. It ended May '19. Now for 65.00 you get 30 gig. My wife and I enjoy your videos, very helpful, thanks for all you do.
Hot tip:
To conserve propane we bought a indoor space heater. Using campsite electricity rather than the gas in the furnace.
Nothing teaches you more about what is really needed than actual hands-on experience in the field on a day by day basis. :) Fantastic video and great information. Thanks for sharing!
Jared, we are not full timers but are enjoying our rig so much more thanks to you. Your videos have helped us immensely. Thanks for the great job you do.
Thank you!
Just stumbled upon your channel. Good stuff. Very informative. Regarding RV toilet paper.....I spent much of my career in the paper industry. I once asked a Production Manager at a tissue paper mill what was the difference between "RV" toilet paper and regular toilet paper. The answer was "the packaging and the price". We are not full time, but we have averaged more than 75 nights a year in our trailer since 2016 and always use whatever toilet paper we happen to have on hand, and have never had any sort of issue. The big key to me is simply keeping your valves closed until your tank is getting fairly full. Then go ahead and dump and close the valve again. I see a lot of folks arrive at a campsite, hook up their sewer hose and then pull the valves open. This is asking for trouble as the liquid simply runs off and the solids stay put in the tank....not that difficult to see where that leads...safe travels and keep up the great work. thank you.
You always provide excellent information. Thank you.
We have the same things lying around. We (I, since I am the packrat) try to look at things every six months or so and if we haven't used it, make a conscious decision on keeping. Every once in a while I have to do a "deep clean" or I get buried in useless "stuff". Keep the videos coming, please!
Another great video Jared! Here in Ontario, Canadian Tire has 5lb or 10lb propane tanks that you can buy that will work with your propane grill or whatever. They are refillable at any propane supplier and totally eliminate the use of those wasteful propane canisters.
Glen Pomeroy I agree 100%. Have used a 5 lb for the grill for years. 👍
So refreshing to see an RV'er advocating LESS instead of MORE. So tired of RUclipsrs who are constantly hawking products (with accompanying kickbacks for themselves) that you simply MUST HAVE. We certainly appreciate all tips and ideas but honestly, some "creators" are so obviously doing this just for the monetary benefits.
Thanks for the tips!
I bought a little 5 pound tank for propane. $5.00 to fill and lasts a lot longer than the disposables. You can also buy 10 pound tanks. Easy to take with us if we want to go to the beach or have a picnic away from the RV.
You can take off the regulators on your BBQ and firepit and use a quick connect to the trailer. The trailer's regulator already reduces the pressure which is why you need to remove the individual ones. Much easier than removing one propane tank each time for the fitting you shown on the video. (Where we camp, LTE is pretty weak but the campground apparently does have decent wifi. I am probably going to your old tech;)
I purchased an inexpensive adapter so I can refill my 1lb cylinders from my 20 lb propane tanks. Like you suggest, I had purchased an adapter hose but found it was not always convenient. At times, I wanted to be able to use a 1lb tank for convenience and portability. My adapter works like a charm. I stick an empty 1lb tank (weigh it first so you'll know when you've added 1lb of propane) in the freezer for 30 minutes. I put my 20lb cylinder is in the sun for about the same amount of time to get it warm. Once the temperature difference is evident, I screw the cold one pound tank to the adapter on the warmer 20lb cylinder, turn the 20lb tank upside down on a picnic table, open the valve so the LPG flows into the 1lb cylinder and wait about 60 seconds. Close the valve and remove the 1lb tank. The tank should weigh 1 lb more than when it was empty. (About 2lbs total).
It costs me less than $1 to fill, compared to purchasing a 1lb cylinder for $7.99 or more sometimes. I don't bother buying new tanks... there are plenty of empty ones sitting near the recycle bins at the campgrounds.(BONUS: I've actually discovered that many of those discarded tanks still have lots of propane in them.)
Regarding the small propane tanks... You can buy an accessory that plugs into the external gas stove orifice. This works fine if you have the gas stove meant for the camper, if you use the adapter to go from the orifice to a propane grill meant for the small cylinders, you do not get enough pressure to even light the grill.
The reason being, the orifice has already been regulated by the camper regulator, when you put the adapter onto the grill, it is regulated again.... It will not let enough gas through to even light.
The hose connection shown in the video is the way to go. It comes directly off an LP tank unregulated and then on to the grill regulator.
Toilet Paper Tip. A visit to a road-side cafe' in Mexico educated me on this. Buy a trash can with a lid (I like the no-touch kind with a foot peddle) - insert one of those plastic bags you get at the checkout stand in the grocery store and flare it out as a liner. Place the can next to the commode. Discard TP in trash instead of flush. (If you're finiky, put it in muck side down). End problems with sensors in the tank. Allow use of ANY T.P., even the very inexpensive kind. Only negative - emptying the trans can - so, when full, tie the handles of the plastic bag together (double knot) and put it out with the rest of the garbage. Saves room in the black-water tank, too.
Sorry that’s just gross 🤢
Costco brand TP breaks down really good, no problems using them
Bidet all day
There is a video with a guy testing different TP's and the best one for value was the great value brand from walmart. Reasonably comfortable, inexpensive and broke down as good as most "RV" toilet papers!
Was that The Fit RV?
I'm new to this and you're helping so much! Thank You!
Keep in mind the propane lines you would run from your RV are already pressure regulated. When using the 1 lb tanks on your grill or lantern to regulate your flow. If you have a regulator on your grill, the combined lower flow from the RV will not give you enough BTUs. We use a bumper mount and the quick connect. Just had to remove the grill regulator using an adapter kit.
I have a brass take-off that goes between my DOT bottle and the RV hose and tees off for a high pressure hose that can go directly to the standard regulator on a bbq or stove. Going this way allows to run off the RV tanks or use bottles if I want. PS don't use gas lanterns anymore LEDs cost lots less to operate.
Can I get info on what to get for this? We haven’t figured out what to do to be able to use our connection on the RV with our grill. Thank you.
Sharon Carr search amazon for rv lp quick connect hose of you just need a hose to connect with
I got one of those 2 1/2 gallon refillable propane tanks to connect up to my Colman grill. Works great because I’m not limited on here to put the tank and grill. I can refill it when I’m refilling my RV tanks.
Thanks. As this is my first rv found myself loading up on accessories as well. As I go along find myself weeding out same kind of items while hanging onto a few what if items. My accessory box has gone down 70% in just one year. I love the dump hose you pointed out for the same reasons. Never used the WiFi stuff but have reduced several items I actually spent some $$ on. Thanks for the video, enjoy them very much.
We bought the refillable camping propane tanks. Works great, no more waste! Thanks for your content, love watching.
For the propane you can buy a simple adapter which will allow you to refill the small tanks and that works great. Amazon has the adapters for under twenty bucks
FYI . If you are tired of buying the small propane bottles. You can actually them. Walmart sells an adapter for that for less than $20. Its easy to use and saves a lot of money.
A couple of propane things: for those who use 20lb tanks, Costco sells tanks every summer with a built-in gauge; also, you can generally pick up a gauge that goes between the tank and the connector. To eliminate buying 1 lb cylinders, you can buy an adapter that allows you to refill the cylinders (there are RUclips videos that explan how to do it); instead of that, we use a tank and a distribution tree; you can use a 5 lb tank, no need for a 20 lb tank with the distribution tree.
Thanks for the great video. We just got our first travel trailer... finally growing up from tent camping. It's good to find someone doing honest videos about what you don't always need. Just subbed.
My two cents.
Grab one of the Truma or Dometic pen type propane tank testers. I have the Dometic knock off and it has been very accurate. Running 3 (4?) years now on the original batteries.
I have T's on both of my 20# tanks - one for the BBQ and one for the Coleman camp stove. Each has a 25' hose which makes it flexible enough locate in different spots. The only negative is that they T off before the changeover regulator, so I am using both tanks at the same time; but has never been a problem as the main tank drains down quicker with the fridge, stove, water heater and furnace all running from that tank from time to time. My trailer does have a QC as well for propane, but I don't use it because it's not well located and the high pressure LP from the tanks means I don't have to modify my BBQ and camp stove.
This was a lot of good info. As someone about to go full time on her own it's very helpful to hear what *doesn't* work for those who've already been there.
Fact! The common person will never talk about poop and toilet paper as much as an avid RV owner will 🤣🤣
Thetford RV toilet paper dissolves quickly and extremely well. Never a problem with it. Do the tp 🧻 in water in a jar test.
I haven't bought an rv yet but we are moving towards this it is our goal
So I am watching all these videos to learn some ins and outside
Thank you for the great info
For the little propane bottles, there is a adapter you can use to fill them from your big tank
Good idea.
If you go to Wish.com they sell a cheap version for under five bucks. That one basically attaches the little bottle to big bottle, when you open valve it then equalizes pressure. May not fill completely up but if you have the tank upside down you will get quite a bit more liquid transferred.
Plus one on the Scott, just make sure whatever you purchase, it is 2 ply! We also use the Rhino sewer hose and carry our Sewer Solution as a backup when we encounter a sewer hook up that is not flush with the ground or at least close to the ground.
There is also an adapter to refill the little 1lb propane tanks from a larger 20-30+ tank. Great if you hike and backpack. Buy a 4 pack of 1lb tanks and a refill adapter and you will be good to go for a couple years before the tanks start to leak. Way better than sending them to a landfill.
,
Mopeka had some bad sensors that were bleeding batteries very quickly. I reached out and they replaced mine. I am usually able to get over a year on one battery. The cold weather does impact the reading showing a lower than actual amount. I wait until the tank actually auto switches then just refill the empty. My configuration has my tanks sitting on two horizontal bars with a gap so I oriented the reader on the bottom to sit between the bars in the gap. They work great in the cooler season so I don’t run both tanks to empty unexpectedly.
I don't doubt your account. However, the RV forums I frequent will often cite battery life as the Mopeka's fatal flaw. I have no personal experience, but the persistent battery discussion keeps me on the other side of the fence.
Granted, I have only been RVing for a couple months... and NOT full-time, but I find the Mopeka sensor helpful. I do not have any extremely high-usage devices for the propane, so they ought to last MANY weeks... but I do like to know the general status of my propane levels every few days. I have found that I need to take a measurement when it is neither too cold nor too hot out. My camping has been during the summer months so far, so I check in the morning. As to the spacers for the sensors, I got the rubber ring spacers and my tanks are on the front of my conventional trailer; it is not too difficult to remove the tanks. I take the tanks off to have them filled and take the sensor off when doing so. The app for my phone gives me an indication for the battery life remaining, so one of these days, I'm sure it will be low and I'll have to change the batteries. I have many devices in and around the house that use the same battery, so I buy the batteries about 20 at a time... I through several in my toolbox in the trailer. In other words, I like mine so far and find the criticism of a minor issue.
Jared,
I got the Stanbroil Propane Brass Tee Adapter Kit with 4-Port you put in your tanks and you can do lots of different connections.
Hope it helps! I got it on Amazon
Agreed. Especially the Wi-Fi booster. Campground Internet does not have the bandwidth to support a second camper using Netflix. Their Wi-Fi doesn't work even if you have a strong signal.
Good stuff. I too tried those propane sensors, could never get them to work. Solution, we use a tank till it runs out, switch to the other one, keep a back up 5 gallon around, use it for BBQ. Good advice on the sewer hoses.
That’s exactly what we do also.
I'll ad another one: Gas mantle lanterns. The new LED lanterns will last a long time on 4 D cells, like weeks, whereas a gas mantle lantern uses up a 1 lb bottle in a night or 2.
Also incandescent light bulbs in the RV and in flashlights. LED's last much longer.
Art, you might like solar powered Lucy Lights. I have two I use when RVing. Saves a lot of battery power. I use the bigger6" size.
+1000 on the (non-)quality of RV park internet. We just got into RV'ing and have done so once for a long weekend, and OMG it was so bad that it made the act of not even bothering to try more preferable to the random spats of 30-second 100k/sec speeds I did get amongst the infinitely spinning load icons.
I got a 10 ft propane hose in my first season RVing, and this year got a second hose and a T-connection so I can run the BBQ and the camp stove at the same time. The risk, though, is that I’m draining propane from the backup tank, and it’s caused us to run out of propane a couple of times.
great video. thanks for the tips. Just bought our first travel trailer.
I do have a "quick connect" below the bumper of my RV but find it a lot more convenient to use a 1 gal propane can i bought several years back. Tables tend to be too far away from my back bumper & the little green cans can be expensive after a bit. I broke even after the 2nd time I filled the 1 gal can vs using the little green ones. One gal lasts a long time and is a good back up for the trailer if I run out. Yes; you can refill the little green cans but not real safe & not real convenient to tip the larger RV bottle over.
The generic toilet paper at Walmart is great! It seems to break down well and is 60 cents per four roll pack. It’s just a black and white generic pack.
10 years full time, using plumber recommended angel soft
Thank you for sharing!
IF blessed, you live and you learn. New products on the market give more options, plus, your lifestyle choices change. Change is good ! Thank you for sharing.
My apologies for going a bit off topic for things not used anymore, but since you discussed cheap vs better sewer hoses, and the T/P that passes thru that hose, I’m claiming creative question liberty here. My question is about that thing we use everyday, what the hose connects to, the black and grey tanks. What do you use in your tanks for conditioner/digester? I’ve seen all sort of comments about the expensive rv brands and other septic system brands such as Rid-X. Again, apologies for somewhat off topic, but this is what the cheap-expensive sewer hoses are used for.
We will occasionally use a chemical that we pick up from Walmart to help with the smells during the summer months when everything is warmer. We haven’t used rid-x at all. We make sure to use a lot of water when flushing and then when dumping the tank, we fill it with water and flush it out again. Hope this helps!
The first thing most RVer's do when setting up at a camp site is attaching the dump hose. I personally only hook up when necessary. Why expose the hose to suns rays and weather?
Just tried our new propane hose for our big tank to eliminate the small bottles and love it!
You definitely have the BEST rv info show on u tube. Thank you and keep up the great work !
This is a good video with a lot of useful information.
Yes. Good info here! Just one tiny thing,..... please hold the item(s) without shaking it all about while talking with your hands. I wanted to get a better look at that propane tank meter and see the back of that wifi thing.
Great videos and info. I've learned a lot. Something I would like to comment on and remind everybody about is the milk crate that appears a few times in this and other folks videos. Those crates are illegal to possess outside the company that owns them. I work for a Dairy and we spend in excess of $2,000,000.00 (2 MILLION dollars) each year replacing milk crates due primarily to theft. It seems like every plumber, electrician and RV owner has at least one and usually more. If I took a bag of tools out of the electricians or plumbers truck they would report me to the authorities. If I walked into your RV and took your TV/Satellite, power cord, water hose etc. you would report me. Please don't complain about the cost of dairy products if you have a stolen milk crate in your possession or know where one is and haven't reported it. If you need that type of crate that badly please do a google search. There are numerous companies that sell them legitimately.
Scott TP is great - not so thick, breaks down super well for my cranky sticks and bricks toilet!
I've always used regular Scott (not yet living in an RV). After reading your comment I tried the test and have to agree, it seems to break down very well in just water. I'm sure in a tank with a bit of Pure Power or what have you it'll work even better. Glad I can stickwith what I'm already happy with.
Charcoal bbq uses way less propane :) tastes great as well!!
For the propane level detector batteries: Amazon does sell 120v ac to AA, AAA, C or D cell battery adapters, so as long as you have shore/inverter/generator power, it would work without any replacement
Thanks again for all you do making your informative videos! I always enjoy & learn from them. Be safe out there!
We bought a small 11lb tank for our bbq, big buddy heater and propane fire pit. Waaaaaaaaay better then using the green 1lb Colman’s tanks. Easy to pick up and take with you around camp or down to the beach ect ect
I did your toilet paper test 2 years ago and some of the Septic safe actually broke down better than the Rv Tp. Usually use Scott's or what's on sale and Septic safe. The propane is pretty simple. I keep one tank closed and when one runs out turn the lever and go fill the empty. Ran out this Spring. Got to 60* inside til I decided to go open the full tank. Lol
i use my phone as a hotspot almost exclusively this year. Cell service is better and so is my plan
Walmart Great Value green label is septic safe and a great RV TP
Yeah that would be great but these fools out here buying all the tissue again like crazy
The Scott single-ply toilet paper works great I've used it for 10 years
It's the best way to go.
Yessssss it breaks down very well I use it in my rig also
Always appreciate all the great ideas in your videos!
Thanks!
Great video. Agree with you on the Mopeka LP tank sensors batteries. About ready to ditch them, too. I stopped using the x-chocks. They are heavy and take time to install. Left them home in the shop, along with the kingpin tripod! Less weight to haul around.
Am curious about the hotspot for wi-fi. Our 2 iPhones have ATT data service. Last year we purchased Verizon and then Sprint hotspots/jet packs. Burned through the GB data so fast for Verizon (very expensive) and Sprint (less expensive) when we were RV’ng in Shenandoah Nat Park. Stopped Ver and Sprint data plans shortly (after about 4 mos) after buying the hotspots and our RV season was over. Still open to suggestions for 2019 season already underway. Missed having WiFi in NH Franconia Notch KOA for 4 nights . -Jersey Mike
Check out NetBuddy. They offer an unlimited ATT data plan for around $65 per month. It has received some good reviews. Will Prowse put out some informative RUclips videos last year. Verizon did have an unlimited network managed plan for the Jetpack that many RVer use but they recently closed it to new subscribers. Also check with Mopeka, I recall reading they made some changes to increase battery life.
Thanks for that John we have a sunset cross road camper and we really love it and thank you for saying that by the way I also love your channel even though this is the first video I watched him have fun in your camper wish me luck in my camper and yeah bye
Another great video!!! Thanks for taking the time to make.
My mind just exploded. I literally had no idea toilet paper broke down that well. Bought RV specific toilet paper when apparently our Angel Soft is just fine! Lol
You can get a little mini 5lb DOT propane tank that's very easy to carry around and just keep that on hand for further away grilling. Totally eliminate the colman 1lb that way
I like that idea
You can easily refill those little propane tanks with your standard BBQ grill tank.
With the grill tank, you can get a line to hook into a 20lb or even an 11 or 4.5lb tank. I still use the small bottles because I bought a bunch of them in 2003 and they're still good.
Gas expands and contracts with head and cold... I am sure your measurements were fine.. accurate...
There's a valve you can refill the small cylinder with from your large tank. Harbor freight around 10 bucks
Note that this is illegal in the majority of states.
@@WillBelden so is cutting tags off a mattress but nobody cares.
@@richnoggin7524
Now thats funny stuff right there
@@richnoggin7524 I spent two years in prison for tearing the tag off of a Sealy Posturpedic.
@@richnoggin7524 nobody died from cutting the mattress tag. People have died from disposable propane tanks after they were refilled. There is a safer option from flame king, it's a really sturdy product.
@AllAboutRV's, How about also updating your description with the things you didn't like! A couple of them I would like and need, especially the WiFi booster - the speeds around me are great but I do have a signal problem and have tried many boosters that don't work well. It would just be nice to carry the booster as an option.
Another note about the disposable propane cylinders.. Often the devices you use them with have a pressure regulator. Your main tanks on the RV also have a pressure regulator. Sometimes if you tap off the main tanks to your BBQ or other device normally fed by disposable cylinder, the combination of the two regulators can drop the gas flow down to such a low level that the device won't work correctly. It doesn't happen with all devices, it depends on the regulators.
I use propane gauge so far one year later still works great.
You can refill the 1 lb propane cylinder . There adapter is about 20 bucks
I'm thinking about going with the dry flush toilet in my RV van conversion
I've found that WIFI in cheap hotels also have very very slow wifi. More expensive hotels with well knows names have excellent WIFI. Many folks these days use a smart phone as their computer, so it makes sense to make the move to a hot spot of your own to connect to the internet. Very good video and information.
Alot of awesome tips, we are fulltimers. If y'all are ever in central Florida let us know. Hope y'all are doing well!!
We loved that area, we spent 3 1/2 months this summer traveling all around Florida. It’s a very beautiful state!
You can also buy an adapter to fill the small green 1 pound propane tank!
I like the little propane tanks but if I used propane tanks all the time, I would use the dot tank as well. I switched to electric when I traveled and charcoal for grilling outdoors. A electric stovetop, and a microwave and a toaster or toaster oven is the way I went with. You can still grill at a campfire or charcoal grill and have the convenience of electrical cooking inside when it's raining or something. I think it's safer as well cause I had a propane grill catch fire when I was younger and luckily I turned off the tank and disconnected it without panicking. I know electric can be just as dangerous and newer propane grills have safety valves now but I would rather use charcoal or electric as my cooking. I have natural gas in my home but that's not disconnected and moved all the time and can be prone to damages in transit cause my oven stays in one place. Now I would use a stationary propane oven in a RV but not a travel propane cooktop. Had one and scared the daylights out of me and I would rather not, if I have another choice.
Great video. 1st video I've ever watched from u and I already subscribed to your channel.
Amazon sales an Inline Gauge that you install at the tank valve and it provides you a visual based on Pressure. There are NO BATTERIES to deal with.
Thanks Jared
The 1st one for measuring propane level are junk out of the box! I tried two different sets of them and couldn't get either set to work with the monitor that came with it or on WiFi.
The small propane tanks can be refilled from an adapter for the large tank. But still a waste of time and money as far as I'm concerned. I've been using regular toilet paper for 20+ years in my motorhome without a problem. Close the T handle gate valve tank closed. Wait until the tank is full before you dump the tank. Leaving the gate valve open allows the water to drain and the solids to build up. You want to flush the tank each time with the water to flush out the solids each time you open the gate valve.
Just my personal experience.
3:07 I actually had one of those hoses split in my hands while draining my grey tank.
They make 5lb propane bottles.. very easy to work with..
We had problems with Scott's gumming up our black tank valve, which as you know is NOT good bc then it doesn't shut all the way after you dump (unless weran our saniflush but we could only do that at dump stains with water... don't want to hook up saniflush at full hookups campsite). So gross. So now we use Walmart's Great Value Everyday Soft TP.
@Toasty Tanks, gonna give that a try
Well, this video is helpful and resourceful, to keep you organized during your RV trips. Since RV is not just a vehicle but a home as well, do you agree? :)
Good information. Always enjoy your videos.
Good Morning. I refill the green cans. Sams club has the right paper. Jack
It’s just their members mark brand, it is septic safe.
@@AllAboutRVs I tried the SAMS TP using the water breakdown test and it didn't break down very well. I left a sheet in water for a couple minutes but maybe I didn't give it enough time? Tested the Scott 1ply and it started disintegrating almost immediately.
What kind of hot spot do you use for full timing? Looking for something with no data cap
I actually found the Scott’s brand RV toilet paper in large packs and its actually good stuff works just like the big name brand house hold paper. Just Incase someone was looking for some. It’s sold at Walmart.
Jeremy Simpson we have been using it, but found that it’s very very slow in breaking down.
Nancy Sala The RV safe? Hmm I use clear connections on my sewer hose and I’ve never had a problem. I also use Blue Power to break down solids so maybe the Blue Power is doing it’s job.
Good job
You can refill the small propane bottles with a simple adaptor from wally world ...
Guess I am old school. The only accessory that you are doing away with that I have, is the sewer hose. Am I the only one who cooks on a grill over a campfire? (As long as there aren’t any fire restrictions) No computer, generator, air conditioner, TV, camping stove or lanterns. I have a stove, hot water heater and heater in the camper, which we use sparingly.
I wonder if AP Products has improved the propane sending units. Mine have been in service for almost 20 months (June 28, 2018 through today, Feb 14, 2020) and are still on the original batteries. One battery is about 60%, the other is about 80%.
That’s impressive on the batteries
Great video I just bought an RV so looking for tips :)
I bought a $9 adapter so I can refill the one pound propane tanks I just reuse the 4 I have over and over
Key thing to note, fill them with the big tank upside down... and use a hemostat to release air between filling... and use a scale to weigh so you don't overfill... search for a video on it... takes a few minutes, but it nice to just reuse a couple bottles for this without having to be tethered.
The Walgreens big roll brand toilet paper claims to be RV safe and it's really cheap
Invest in a splitter, and you won't have to mess around with the hoses much.
Great video. You've inspired me to look through all the doors and drawers and pull out anything we haven't used in the last 5000 miles.
Jared, how long have you had your Verizon jetpack? Is it the 65.00 prepaid unlimited? I tried for hours yesterday on the phone and in person in a Verizon company store and was told that special is over. It ended May '19. Now for 65.00 you get 30 gig. My wife and I enjoy your videos, very helpful, thanks for all you do.
Yes, we signed up for the prepaid unlimited before the special was over. And we have had the jetpack since February
The small gas bottles can be refilled from larger tanks.